Set to replace the S80, the upcoming Volvo S90 will target the 5 Series and the E-Class

Volvo is busily developing a successor to the aging S80, and a new report coming out of England provides us with a better idea of what to expect from it.

Tentatively called S90, the sedan will likely be presented to the public next fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It will be positioned a notch above the existing S80 in order to ambitiously fight head-to-head against popular premium German sedans like the BMW 5 Series, the Audi A6 and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

Lex Kerssemarkers, Volvo’s vice president of product strategy, explains that the S90 will look a lot more “distinctive” than the outgoing S80 because it will borrow a handful of styling cues from the Concept Universe (pictured) that bowed at the 2011 edition of the Shanghai Motor Show. The S90 will be introduced as a four-door sedan, and it will spawn a roomy station wagon called V90 a little less than a year after its debut. A long-wheelbase model will likely round out the lineup later in the production run, though it is too early to tell if it will be offered in the United States.

Volvo quietly points out that the S90’s interior will be an evolution of the new XC90’s. That means we can expect to find a center console dominated by a huge vertical touch screen that will run the latest generation of the automaker’s infotainment system and an easy-to-read instrument cluster with digital gauges and a configurable TFT screen.

Since the S90 and the XC90 will share the same modular platform, it’s not surprising that the sedan will be offered with the same engines as the crossover. For Americans, that means the entry-level S90 will pack a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that will use both a turbocharger and a supercharger to develop 316 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 295 lb-ft. of torque from 2,200 to 4,500 rpm.

For a little bit more cash, buyers will be able to order the S90 with Volvo’s fuel-sipping Twin Engine plug-in hybrid technology. Set to debut on the XC90 later this year, the drivetrain will consist of the aforementioned twin-charged four, an electric motor mounted over the rear axle and a smaller disc-shaped motor found between the engine and the eight-speed automatic transmission.

The Volvo S90 is tentatively scheduled to go on sale across the nation in time for the 2017 model year.

With the introduction of the Portofino, Ferrari addresses the California T’s stylistic shortcomings while improving comfort, convenience, and performance. There’s little “entry-level” about this super stallion.

The 2020 Cadillac CT5 replaces the CTS in the General Motors luxury brand's lineup. Cadillac will unveil the CT5 at the 2019 New York Auto Show in April. Until then, it's keeping most details under wraps.

Fisker Inc. plans to launch an electric SUV with a base price of under $40,000, and a range of around 300 miles in 2021. The unnamed vehicle could compete with the Tesla Model Y, if it ever gets into production.

The Mission E Cross Turismo concept Porsche unveiled during the 2018 Geneva Auto Show will morph into a production model tentatively named Taycan Cross Turismo. This 600-horsepower electric station wagon will arrive in showrooms by 2021.

Waymo has announced plans for a facility in Phoenix, Arizona, that will help to service, maintain, and grow its fleet of autonomous Waymo One cars. The vehicles operate as part of the company's robo-taxi ridesharing service.

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC coupe debuts at the 2019 New York Auto Show with an upgraded infotainment system that incorporates Mercedes' digital assistant. The SUV launches later this year with turbocharged four-cylinder power.

A Land Rover Discovery will be used by the Mobile Malaria Project for a 3,900-mile trek across Africa to study malaria. The SUV is equipped with a mobile gene-sequencing laboratory, as well as everything necessary for serious off-roading.

Volvo believes new tech is the best way to improve car safety. The Swedish automaker will let owners set speed limits when loaning out their cars, install cameras to monitor drivers, and use data to design better safety features.

The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe is coming to the United States, eventually. The new compact BMW won't be unveiled until the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show in November. The Gran Coupe will be based on a front-wheel drive platform.

Tesla has always bypassed traditional dealerships, and it has now adopted an online-only sales model that lets customers configure and order their car without leaving their couch. Here's what you need to know.

Workers at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in NY City will soon be able to make their way around the 300-acre industrial park in Optimus Ride's self-driving shuttles. The tech startup says it's the first trial of its kind in the state.

The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance is launching a new cloud platform for its cars. Based on Microsoft Azure, the Alliance Intelligent Cloud will enable features like connected services and over-the-air updates.

Toyota has updated the C-HR, its entry-level crossover, by adding an entry-level trim level to the lineup. Every model regardless of price also comes standard with an 8.0-inch touchscreen compatible with Apple CarPlay.